High pressure laboratory unit



Sept. 24, 1963 Filed Jan. 5, 1961 F. GASCHE HIGH PRESSURE LABORATORY UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Sept. 24, 1963 F. GASCHE 3,104,628

HIGH PRESSURE LABORATORY UNIT Filed Jan. 5, 1961 2 Sheets- -Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

a /M Mww United States Patent Ofiice 3,104,628 HIGH PRESSURE LABGRATORY UNIT Fred Gasche, Erie, Pat, assignor to Autoclave Engineers, Inc, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Jan. 5, 1961, Ser. No. 80,823 Claims. (Cl. 109-1) This invention is a self barricaded uni-t containing the equipment needed for high pressure research which is usable out in the open in schools, laboratories and factories or other desired locations while affording the safety heretofore obtained only with permanent reinforced concrete installations. This unit opens up new fields for high pressure research.

In' the drawing, FIG. "1 is a front view of the high pressure laboratory unit, FIG. 2 is .a back view, FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation, and FIG. 4 is a top view partly broken away.

The outside walls, floor and ceiling of the unit are made of explosion resistant-material such as steel plate 1 on the inner surface of which is bonded a fiberglass mat 2. The mat has an inner coating of resin but in the body of the mat the fibers are only lightly coated with resin as it has been found that relatively loose fibers afford greater protection against flying fragments than tightly bonded fibers. On the outside of end wall 3 is an enclosure 4 for a hand operated pump 5, 6 connected to an accumulator 7 supported on a shelf 8 on the inside of the front wall 9. Below the shelf 8 is a shelf 10' supporting an autoclave 11. The particular autoclave shown has a motor 12 for driving the agitator.

Above the ceiling 13 is an external cabinet 14 housing reaction control means such as instruments 15, valves 16, exhaust blower 17 and indicating lights 18. The indicating lights, valves and instruments are all visible and accessible from the front so the progress of the reaction can readily be observed and controlled. An external shelf 19 is provided for the convenience of the user.

The back wall 20 has a doorway 21 and a sliding door 22 of woven wire rope blasting mat suspended by wheels 23 travelling on a guide 24 at the top of the back well. In closed position, the blasting mat overlaps the inside of the doorway and traps any fragments. The partially open mesh of the blastingmat dissipates the force of an explosion.

The floor 25 is provided with a drain 26 leading to a drain line 27. Suitable casters 28 are attached to the under side of the floor so that the unit may be readily moved about as desired.

The high pressure lines and explosion proof electrical lines, diagrammatically indicated at 29, are confined within the enclosure except at the points 30 at which the lines extend through the cabinet walls to the externally mounted pump 6 and to the externally mounted blower, valves and instruments 15,16, 17.

The unit protects against explosion, missiles from shattered equipment and chemically produced fires which Patented Sept. 24, 1963 of steel plate on the inner surface of which is bonded fiberglass matting, a doorway in one of said walls, a door of partially open mesh woven wire rope blasting mat overlapping the inside of the doorway in the closed position, a pump outside the cell, an accumulator and an autoclave mounted within the cell, reaction control means accessible from outside the cell, and piping between the pump, accumulator, autoclave and control means.

2. A self barricaded portable unit for high pressure reactions comprising a cell having walls, floor and ceiling of explosion resistant material, a doorway in one of said walls, a door of partially open mesh woven wire rope blasting mat overlapping the inside of the doorway in the closed position, a hand operated pump outside the cell, an accumulator and an autoclave mounted within the cell, reaction control means accessible from outside the cell, and piping between the pump, accumulator, autoclave and control means.

3. A self barricaded portable unit for high pressure reactions comprising a cell having walls, door and ceiling of explosion resistant material, a doorway in one of said walls, a door of partially open mesh woven wire rope blasting mat closing the doorway, a hand operated pump outside the cell, an accumulator and an autoclave mounted within the cell, reaction control means accessible from outside the cell, and piping between the pump, accumulator, autoclave and control means.

4. A self barricaded portable unit for high pressure reactions comprising a cell having walls, floor and ceiling of explosion resist-ant material, .a doorway in one of said Walls, a door of partially open mesh woven wire rope blasting mat closing the doorway, an autoclave mounted within the cell, reaction control means accessible from outside the cell, and piping between the autoclave and control means.

5. A self barricaded portable unit for high pressure reactions comprising a cell having Walls, floor and ceiling of explosion resistant material, a doorway in one of said walls, a door of partially open rnesh woven wire rope blasting mat closing the doorway, a pump outside the cell, means for mounting an accumulator and an autoclave within the cell, and reaction control means accessible from outside the cell, and explosion resistant fluid and electrical lines for connection between the pump, accumulator, autoclave and control means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,165,935 Menzel July 11, 1939 2,315,799 La Guardia et al. Apr. 6, 1943 

4. A SELF BARRICADED PORTABLE UNIT FOR HIGH PRESSURE REACTIONS COMPRISING A CELL HAVING WALLS, FLOOR AND CEILING OF EXPLOSION RESISTANT MATERIAL, A DOORWAY IN ONE OF SAID WALLS, A DOOR OF PARTIALLY OPEN MESH WOVEN WIRE ROPE BLASTING MAT CLOSING THE DOORWAY, AN AUTOCLAVE MOUNTED WITHIN THE CELL, REACTION CONTROL MEANS ACCESSIBLE FROM 